Intermittent operator for winches



Sept. 1, 1931. F. STONEBERG 1,820,992

INTERMITTENT OPERATOR FOR WINCHES Filed Dec. 29, 1930 v i 1 IM '/////Illl1 lil- 577/ H llllkillllllll I Patented Sept. 1, 1931 PATENT OFFICE FRITIQF STQNEBERG, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS l INTEBMiT T'ENT ornnn'ron non WINCHES A ppli cation. filed December 29, 1930. Serial No. 505,380.

This invention relates to jacks, winches and hoists having'*mechanism of the lever and ratchet type In devices of this type, the ratchet is usually advanced step-by-step by a pawl which -is;actuatedby a hand-operated lever: 'A dete'nt 'secures the ratchet against accidental 3 backward movement.

' W'inch es ofthe ratchet and lever type have long been in use for tightening cables such as those employedin connection with the hand-operated brakes of'railway cars.

In such devices one end of the cable is usually wound on the drum "or other power transmitting element'connected to the ratchet of the winch.

I With the old type of ratchet winch heretofore in use, the intervals ofniovement of the power transmitting element were uniform and, therefore, the cable or other attachment operated by. the winch always 2 small and then increases. @For instance, in

tightening a railway car brake, the slack in the cable is first taken up before the winch has any etlectupon the brakes. so long as there is slack in the cable, the load on the winch iscomparatively small and becomes appreciable only after the cable has been drawn taut. For such classes of work, it is desirable to have a winch with a differential speed,"so' as "to be capable of a. rapid take-up movement when the load is not appreciable. The main objects ofthis invention are to provide a jack or winchof this type having improved mechanism for automatically imparting rapid take-up movements to the power transmitting element without altering j the strokes of the lever; to provide improved manually controlled means for releasing the detent to permit reverse rotation of the power transmitting element when desired; and to provide a device of this kind which is particularlyadapted for use in connection with the handbrakes of railway cars. An illustrative embodiment of this invenings, wherein Figure 1 is a vertical section of a winch to which this invention is applied; part of the handle being broken away.

Fig. 2 is a transverse section, taken on the line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 1 but showing a changed position of certain parts,

with the detent in a retracted position.

Fig. 4 is a horizontal section, taken on the line 41-A- of Fig. 2.

In the specific term herein shown, the invention is applied to a winch which is particularly adapted for attachment to railway cars for use in connection with the hand operated brakes.

In the construction illustrated, the improved winch comprises a housing 1, in which is mounted a rotatable power transmitting element 2 adapted to be actuated by a hand lever The housing 1 is preferably a metal casting of any desired form. he housing has a peripheralfiange 4, provided with apertured lugs 5 for receiving bolts or other fastening means by which the winch may be secured to a side or end of the railway car. One side of the housin is closed by a removable plate 6, which is secured to the housing by bolts ors :rews '7, and the lower end of the housing is open.

Extending through the housing, is a bolt 8 for rotatably supporting the improved power transmitting element 2.

In the form shown, the power tran mitting element 2 includes a hub portion having a drum 9 formed at one end thereo'l and provided with a pair of lugs 10 for attachment to one end of a cable 11 which is adapted to be partly wound on the drum when the power transmitting element 2 is rotated.

Located on one side of the drum, is a pair of substantially concentric ratchet wheels 12 and 13, adapted to be driven by pawls 14 and 15, respectively. The ratchet 12 is considerably smaller than the ratchet 13 and is mutt lated so as to provide a smooth surface 1-3 on a portion of its periphery.

.The pawls 1-1 and 15 are pivoted on a pin 17, which is supported in a substantially 7 drum.

Ushaped rocker member 18 having trunnions 19 and 20 which are journaled in the housing 1 andplate 6, respectively. The outer end of the trunnion 19 is polygonal in cross section and supports the lever 3, which is adapted to be oscillated with uniform strokes for actuating the pawls Hand 15 to rotate the power transmitting element 2 step-by-step. A nut 21 is secured to the outer end of the trunnion 19. f r

A detent 2-2 is pivoted in the housing and is adapted to engage the ratchet 13 to prevent accidental backward, movement of the Formed on the detent,is an arm 23 adapted toengage a cam 24 which is formed on the rocker 18 for reieasing the detent when the lever 3 is shifted to the position shown in Fig.

in operation, the the positions shown in Fig. 1.

parts are. initially in To tighten l 'll"'i the caeie ne iandie lever u is osc1 ate with uniform strokes. On eachstroke of the lever to the right, as viewed in Fig; 1, one or" the 'pawis engages the corresponding ratchet for advancing the drum. On the first four effective strokes of the lever, the

pawl 1 1 engages theratchet 12 for advancin the orum wlth a ra 31d take-upmove Z3 7 I L ment. In the form shown, each tooth on the ratchet 12 corresponds to three teeth on the larger ratchet 13. When the ratchet 152 is being advanced by the pawl 14, the pawl 15 merely rides idly on the ratchet 13.

After the pawl 1 1 has engaged the last tooth on the ratchet 1 the subsequent effective strokes of the lever 8 will move the pawi 15into engagementwith the ratchet 13 for advancing the drum only one step e at a time, which the pawl 14 rides idly on the smooth portion 16 of theratchet 12. I

With this improved construction, the winch has a cifferential speed, permitting a rapid and automatic take-up movement without changing the strokes of the lever.

When it is desired to release the winch,

the leveri-S is moved to the extreme position shown Fig. for retracting the detent 22 by means of the cam Although but one specific embodiment of this invention is herein shown and described, details thereofmay be mocified without departing from the claims.

I claim: 1 r p 1. A device of the class described comprising a power transmitting element, a pairv of racks on said element, one of said racks being mutilated, an operating lever, and a pair of pawls on said lever, one of said pawls being adapted to en age said mutilated rack for effecting a predetermined throw of said element, the other of said pawls being adapted to engage the other rack for effecting a shorter throw of said element without changing the stroke of said lever.

2. A device of the class describedcomprising a rotatable power transmitting element, a pair of substantially concentric ratchets of difi'erent diameters on said element, the smaller of said ratchets being mutilated, an operating .lever, and a pair of I on said lever, one of said pawls being adapted to engage said mutilated ratchet. during certain strokes of said lever, the otherpawl being adapted to engage the larger ratchet during certain other strokes ofysaid lever, a detent arranged to secure said ratchets against backward movement, anda shoulder actuated by said lever for moving said de tent out of operative relation to said ratchets.

1. A device of the class describedcomprising a housing, a rotatable power transmitting element journaled in said housing, a pair of substantially concentric ratchets of different diameters on said element, a detent engaging the larger of said rate'hets to secure said element against backward movement, the smaller ofsaid ratchets being mutilated, a rocker member on said housing, a lever arranged to rock said member, a pair of pawls on said member, one of said pawls being adapted to I engage said mutilated ratchet for effecting a predetermined throw of said element, the other of said pawls being adapted to engage said larger ratchet for effecting a shorter throw of said element 7 without changing the stroke of said lever,

at Chicago this 20th day of Dec.

FRITIOF STONEBERG. 

